Dental implants are one of the most popular options for replacing missing, diseased, or damaged teeth. We recommend them to many patients because they have significant benefits to your oral health beyond just improving the look of your smile.
Dental Implants Prevent Teeth From Shifting
Missing teeth can be seriously harmful to your oral health. Even if you are only missing one tooth, your remaining teeth will gradually shift position in your mouth. This shifting leads to changes in your bite and uneven distribution of pressure on your jaw while you chew, which contributes to jawbone deterioration over time. Gaps in your smile from missing teeth are also highly vulnerable to bacteria and plaque buildup that causes tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. All of these issues can lead to further tooth loss, jawbone deterioration, and a sunken facial appearance over time.
Dental implants keep your natural teeth from shifting because they are surgically rooted in your jaw, acting as prosthetic tooth roots. As implants heal, they fuse with your jawbone, strengthening it and preventing the bone loss that occurs over time if you do not replace missing teeth. Dental implants can even make you look younger if your face has already started to sink, for instance if you are switching to implants after years of wearing dentures.
Implants Make Oral Hygiene Easy
Another notable way dental implants can improve your oral health is the fact that once they heal, you can care for them just like you would your natural teeth. Some alternatives to implants, such as dentures, require a lot of maintenance and special cleaning that can be frustrating or difficult to keep up with for some people. Neglecting your oral hygiene will only lead to more complications down the line, including further tooth loss. Dental implants make it easy to follow a proper oral hygiene routine, which will keep your newly restored smile beautiful and healthy for the rest of your life. To learn more about dental implants, call our office today.
Dental implants are one of the most popular options for replacing missing, diseased, or damaged teeth. We recommend them to many patients because they have significant benefits to your oral health beyond just improving the look of your smile.